Complete results
BELLINGHAM -- Everyone says change is good. That certainly has been the case for Seattle Pacific javelin throwers Nate Wagner and Jace Derwin, and 400-meter hurdler Ryan Endresen.
All three Falcons are new to their respective events this year, but they didn't need long to take a liking to them.
Endresen, a freshman from Portland, Ore., came up with a victorious 400-meter hurdle run for the Falcons on Friday night in the Western Washington Twilite meet at Civic Stadium.
Wagner and Derwin both launched personal-best javelin tosses -- and both by a considerable margin -- to finish 2-3 in that event.
Endresen hit the finish line in 55.10 seconds -- enough to win by a scant one one-hundredth of a second ahead of Kevin Myhre, who was competing unattached.
The first time Endresen ran the 400 hurdles this season on March 20 at the Oregon Preview in Eugene, he finished in 55.51 seconds. By last weekend's Spike Arlt Invite in Ellensburg -- less than a month later -- he was down to 54.86. And while Friday's rather unpleasant conditions resulted in a bit of a slower time, the SPU freshman was far from discouraged.
“Now, my goal is to get into the low 54s and try to qualify for nationals by GNAC, or at GNAC,” said Endresen (Portland, Ore.) “I think I could do that with just some better weather.”
The 400 hurdles have become the ultimate perfect fit to Endresen, whose specialty was the hurdles at Columbia Christian High School in Portland.
“I hadn't ever run the 400 hurdles before,” Endresen said. (The long hurdles event in high school is 300 meters.) “I was excited for it, because I love the 400, and I love the hurdles. When you put them together, though, it's a lot harder.”
In fact, Endressen took up the 400 meters in high school to help him with his long hurdles race. He already has started to see that decision pay off at the college level, and figures it's going to keep paying off in the future
“I just need a little more conditioning, and that will be good,” he said.
NOT JUST FARTHER, BUT WAY FARTHER
Wagner (Olympia, Wash./Northwest Christian HS) had a throw of 191 feet, 10
inches, to take second place in the javelin on Friday, and Derwrin (Snoqualmie, Wash./Mount Si HS) threw it 189-6 for third. Both were coming off PRs from just last Saturday at the Spike Arlt Invitational in Ellensburg. Derwin threw 180-4 in that meet, and Wagner was at 167-7.
“Every week, we just get more into the groove,” said Derwin, a junior who already was an automatic qualifier for next month's Great Northwest Athletic Conference championships, and now has been joined on that list by his senior teammate. “We're slowly learning to solve the mystery of (throwing it).”
Derwin had been a shot putter and discus thrower last year. He also was on SPU's men's soccer team. Wagner didn't throw anything last year -- he was high, long and triple jumper.
“This year, I kind of burned out on high jump, and I got a little bigger. So I wanted to do something else to stay in track,” Wagner said.
With a spot in the GNAC championships now locked up, the next logical step for both of them is to try getting onto the NCAA Division II provisional qualifying list. That'll take a minimum of 193-7.
Both think that's very reachable.
“It's near the end of the season, and we're still getting better,” Derwin said.
Added Wagner, “We can go over 200. Duncan (Atwood, the assistant who works with SPU's javelin throwers) is the best coach. When you know that what the coach is telling you is the right thing, that really helps you.”
Freshman AJ Baker (Au Gres, Mich.), in the first 5,000-meter race of his SPU career, took fourth place in 15:14 and jumped onto the GNAC automatic qualifying list.
The Falcons will return to action next Saturday, May 1, at the Saint Martin's Invitational in Lacey.
NCAA Men's Track & Field
Western Washington Twilite
Friday, April 23, 2010
Civic Stadium/Bellingham, Wash.
Team scores -- Not kept.
100 -- 1, Alex Tilley (W. Wash.) 11.17. SPU placers -- 13, Micah Grounds 11.63; 20, Hilario Ramirez 12.23.
200 -- 1, Shane Gruger (W. Wash.) 22.48. No SPU competitors.
400 -- 1, Toby David (W. Wash.) 50.19. No SPU competitors.
800 -- 1, Mark Wilkie (Unattached) 1:53.80. SPU placers -- 11, Nathanael Sleight 2:00.08; 16, Jordan Lance 2:04.25.
Mile -- 1, Aaron Lanzel (Unattached) 4:11.58. SPU placers -- 11, Chad Meis 4:19.66; 14, Jacob Wahlenmaier 4:25.41; 15, Nate Seely 4:25.96; 17, Andrew Van Ness 4:28.83; 20, Daniel Friesen 4:33.87; 25, Lyle Emory 5:06.82.
3000 -- 1, Jordan Welling (W. Wash.) 8:24.61. No SPU competitors.
5000 -- 1, Tim Welch (Everett C) 15:07.40. SPU placer -- 4, AJ Baker 15:14.00.
110 hurdles -- 1, Chris Wilson (Concordia-Ore.) 15.53. No SPU competitors.
400 hurdles -- 1, Ryan Endresen (SPU) 55.10. No other SPU competitors.
3000 steeplechse -- 1, Kyle Johnson (W. Wash.) 9:47.70. No SPU competitors.
4x100 relay -- 1, Western Washington 41.72. No SPU team.
4x400 relay -- 1, Western Washington 3:27.20. No SPU team.
High jump -- 1, Django Lovett (Valley Royals) 6-7 (2.01m). No SPU competitors.
Pole vault -- 1, Ryan Brown (W. Wash.) 16-8 3/4 (5.10m). No SPU competitors.
Long jump -- 1, Warren Woods (UW) 22-3 3/4 (6.80m). No SPU competitors.
Triple jump -- 1, Clayton Jonson (UW) 47-5 1/4 (14.46m). No SPU competitors.
Shot put -- 1, Eric Whalen (Concordia-Ore.) 53-3 1/2 (16.24m). SPU placer -- 19, Billy Martin 37-9 1/4 (11.51m).
Discus -- 1, Michael Hoffman (W. Wash.) 163-8 (49.88m). SPU placer -- 13, Martin 123-2 (37.55m).
Hammer -- 1, Hoffman (W. Wash.0 194-9 (59.37m). SPU placer -- 10, Martin 137-11 (42.03m).
Javelin -- 1, Cody Parker (Com. Cougars) 193-0 (58.84m). SPU placers -- 2, Nate Wagner 191-10 (58.47m); 3, Jace Derwin 189-6 (57.77m).
